Making It Earth Day Every Day

Many communities celebrated Earth Day with formal festivities on Sunday, April 22. This year marked the 42nd anniversary the holiday’s observance. How did you celebrate with your family or community?

While some folks may not realize it, take good care of our earth is a big concern among farmers and ranchers. For instance, practices such as conservation tillage and no-till farming are helping create significant environmental benefits.

No-till allows farmers to plant crops and control weeds without turning the soil. It also decreases erosion, reduces fuel use and improves water quality. Did you know? No-till farming empowers farmers to grow more crops and feed more people than was possible when the first Earth Day was founded 42 years ago.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in the 1970s, a revolution in agriculture began when farmers started converting from conventional, intensive tillage systems to a system more in tune with nature. Soil erosion from U.S. cropland declined more than 40 percent between 1982 and 2007, thanks in part to no-till and conservation tillage practices. These modern farming practices were made possible in part by the use of atrazine, a herbicide that can manage many different types of weeds under a wide variety of conditions.

Many of us have questions about how crops are grown. Like, how do farmers prepare their fields? Do they spray chemicals on the crops? Are the crops safe to eat? We want to help answer your questions. Check out the volunteer page to meet our farm women volunteers. Each of these friendly ladies will gladly share with you how they raise crops on their farms, as well as the actions they take to protect the earth and your family. All you have to do is ask!